Brig. Gen. (res.) Avigdor Kahalani says there’s “no chance” of a viable deal with Hamas, urging Israel to push Operation Gideon’s Chariots II to capture Gaza City and apply military pressure to bring the hostages home.
As Israel mobilizes tens of thousands of reservists for Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, decorated war hero Brig. Gen. (res.) Avigdor Kahalani is crystal clear about the mission: go in, break Hamas’s power, and finish the job.
Speaking to Arutz Sheva–Israel National News on Tuesday, Kahalani dismissed talk of a negotiated release of the captives or a political endgame Israel could live with.
“I don’t see such a chance,” he said. “Any agreement they’re demanding is national suicide and a guarantee of an even bigger war in three or four years.”
Kahalani argued that only decisive force will change the strategic picture: reach the outskirts of Gaza or hit Hamas “until they beg our forgiveness and agree to terms.” He assessed that Hamas feels emboldened, entrenched some 80 meters underground, which explains its intransigence.
“Israel cannot stop this war—otherwise it becomes a paper tiger. That’s why we must continue.”
On the hostages, his view is stark:
“They will not return the hostages. This is their bargaining chip. We will have to search and find them. Military pressure is the most likely path to bring them back.”
While stressing the risks, Kahalani framed the stakes in national terms: the long-term safety of Israel’s ten million citizens.
“The only alternative to war,” he warned, “would be the surrender of those ten million Israelis—a scenario that is inconceivable.”
With Gideon’s Chariots II poised for an incursion and capture of Gaza City, Kahalani’s message to the cabinet and the country is blunt: deterrence, security, and the fate of the hostages hinge on finishing the mission—not pausing it.
